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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26026336">The Death of Hermione Granger</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/for_t2/pseuds/for_t2'>for_t2</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Tragedy, Azkaban, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Dementors, Despair, Extremely Dubious Consent, F/F, Hatred, Kissing, Not Canon Compliant, Prison is Hell, Racism, Seduction to the Dark Side</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:55:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,525</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26026336</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/for_t2/pseuds/for_t2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>If Umbridge thought sending Hermione to Azkaban would teach her a lesson, Bellatrix made sure it was the right one</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Bellatrix Black Lestrange</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>206</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Death of Hermione Granger</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Simple. So simple, too easy even for a mudblood. So so so simple."</p><p>Hermione tried not to cry as Bellatrix cackled madly, the dry hoarseness in her voice echoing off the grimy walls of their shared cell deep in Azkaban.</p><p>"You want to. It's easy. I know your kind, your pathetic, filthy, muddy blood and your simple minds. I know you feel it."</p><p>When the pretentious twats of the Inquisitorial Squad had cornered her out in the Hogwarts halls after curfew, she hadn't cried. When Umbridge smiled in that twisted way that could hardly be called a smile and informed her that someone had betrayed them, that she knew all about Dumbledore's Army, she hadn't cried. Even when Umbridge's mouth had contorted into a even wider smile, the pink cats on the pink plates in her pink office almost mewling with laughter, and accused Hermione of being the ringleader, the brains behind the tragic corruption of the traumatised, young Mr. Potter, and that, really, the Ministry had run out of options of discipline, Hermione hadn't cried. Hell, she had even swelled in pride because you're damn right she she was going to stand up to Umbridge and help her friends. </p><p>"Come on, mudblood. Say it for me."</p><p>Even when she had been marched through the massive, solid iron doors of Azkaban for a 'short, remedial sentence, just out in time to study for your O.W.Ls,' she hadn't cried. She was scared, terrified, of course, but she hadn't cried. She had promised herself that she wouldn't let that utter hag get the better of her.</p><p>"You want to kill her."</p><p>Just a short, remedial sentence, just to help set her mind straight of all that Dumbledore nonsense, just to remove the distractions from poor Mr. Potter's education. Just a month in Azkaban. Nothing really.</p><p>"Choke her, bleed her, rip her apart with your bare hands." Bellatrix's excited giggles interrupted her sing-song rant. "I hear you whisper it when you think you're sleeping. Kill her!"</p><p>"Shut up!" Hermione fumbled through the darkness for the cracked, slimy excuse for a bowl the auror guards filled with what passed for meals and tossed it with all the strength she could muster across the cell. It missed, clanging against the wall with a hollow sound so terrible it reasonated through her skull. "Just shut up."</p><p>Bellatrix only laughed harder. "Mudblood can't be a wizard. Mudblood can't even feel like a normal person!" Before snapping her expression into a deathly serious imitation of Hermione. "This Umbridge lady sounds like a right git. I hate what she's doing to Hogwarts. I hate what she's doing to my friends." She couldn't stop her giggles slipping out of her imitation. "I hate her!"</p><p>Hermione tried to ignore her. Tried to focus instead on running her fingers over the scratches in the wall stones which seemed to change from day to day (if the word 'day' could even be used in the context of Azkaban). She had been trying to interpret them, figure out the patterns, how the magic worked - it was fascinating, really, just like Hogwarts, centuries old and always shifting. Sometimes it seemed like they might've even just been an illusion, with absolutely nothing stopping her or any of the other prisoners from just walking right out. When she was released, she was definitely going to find a history book or...</p><p>"Simple." Bellatrix sang-song as she had ever since Hermione had been shoved in with her. Probably as she had for years. "Simple, simple, simple."</p><p>When she was released. Hermione tried to count down the meals on her fingers. Seventeen. No. Ten. No. Thirteen? Fourteen? Nine? She couldn't remember. Couldn't count. And again, she tried not to cry. She had, a few times already, when the darkness got too much to bear in what could've been hours or weeks ago. But it just made things worse. Just hurt.</p><p>"Aww, mudblood's too weak for Azkaban." At least this time, Bellatrix's mood hadn't swung into something approaching sympathy (or, at least, some long lost memory of it). "And it's only been a few days. You should try a few years!"</p><p>When she was released, Hermione was definitely going to do something about Azkaban. A petition maybe. The conditions in here were simply inhumane, and the argument for reform pointedly clear. Of course, when she got back to Hogwarts they'd need to take care of--  </p><p>"Admit it." Hermione jumped as Bellatrix appeared right behind her back. "You dream about doing it." She tried not to shudder as Bellaxtrix leaned over her shoulder, cheek barely brushing against hers. "I can feel how much you loathe her. How it consumes you."</p><p>"Shut up." Hermione tried not to focus on her. Tried not to remember all the horrible things she had done in Voldemort's name. What she had done to Neville's parents. What she would do if she ever escaped. Tried to focus instead on how Umbridge could be--  </p><p>"You're right, you know. To hate her." Bellatrix stroked a finger through Hermione's hair in what she must've decided was a comforting manner. "It's terrible what she's doing to you. Taking someone so bright and hurting them so badly... Killing her would be too merciful." Bellatrix smiled. "But you're merciful, aren't you? You're good. And she's bad."</p><p>Hermione gritted her teeth. Of course Umbridge was bad, but Bellatrix wouldn't know what good meant. Even Umbridge didn't deserve--  </p><p>"They're coming." Bellatrix whispered dreamily a split second before the temperature plunged. Before the darkness stopped hanging around them and started to move, to burrow into their eyes and up to their minds. "Our friends are coming."</p><p>Hermione tried to curl up on herself as the memories, the awful memories, started to flash through her consciousness. As the guilt and pain and panic started to boil frozen to the surface of her skin.</p><p>But Bellatrix stopped her. Surprisingly gently grabbed her arms. "I can help." Held her still as the bars at the far end of the corridor scraped against stone. "Do you want me to help?"</p><p>Hermione couldn't shake her head. Couldn't do anything but sit there, trembling. Until the bars scraped again, high-pitched, and the deathliest rattle echoed down towards them. "Yes," she barely managed to whimper.</p><p>"I knew it." Bellatrix turned Hermione around. Grabbed her neck and slammed her against the back wall. "I can teach you everything. I can make it easy for you." She pushed herself closer to Hermione. "But first, tell me how you really feel about her."</p><p>"I..." Hermione whimpered again as Bellatrix's thumb stroked her neck. At how good it felt to be touched by someone after so long. "I hate her." About how desperately she needed the human contact. "I really, really hate her."</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"She's everything that I hate. Everything." Bellatrix's other hand scraped encouragingly down Hermione's arm. Circled around Hermione's fingers. "I hate her!"</p><p>Bellatrix chuckled, bringing Hermione's hand to her chest, to the weak, warm heartbeat beneath her skin. "And what are you going to do about it?"</p><p>"I..." When Hermione hesitated, Bellatrix's fingers tightened around her neck. Around her breathing. "I'm going to... I can't."</p><p>Bellatrix let go of her hand, the cold rushing back to glove her fingers even as Hermione tried to dig them into Bellatrix's skin. Gently, she titled Hermione's chin up, towards the prison corridor outside their cells, the other prisoners shuddering and begging and hiding from the Dementor patrol making its way towards them. "Of course you can. You want to be a witch, don't you?"</p><p>This close to her, the Dementors this close to them, Hermione didn't think it was possible to feel more hopeless, more desperate. "I'm going to kill her," she whispered.</p><p>"What's that?"</p><p>Hermione tried to swallow. "I'm going to kill her," she repeated a little more confidently, a little more panicked.</p><p>Bellatrix leaned closer, almost sheltering her from the Dementors. "How?"</p><p>"With... With the Killing Curse."</p><p>"Yes?" Bellatrix drew out the word with every second the Dementors got closer to their cell, her lips almost grazing against Hermione's.</p><p>"The Killing Curse. It's just two words. It's simple." Hermione spat out the words as fast she could, clung on to Bellatrix for dear life. "I'm going to kill her." As if there was anything Bellatrix could protect her from. "I'm going to kill her. Please!"</p><p>Hermione shuddered as Bellatrix crashed her lips into hers. As she wrapped her arms around Bellatrix, trying to pull her closer, to hold on to any glimmer of warmth, to the only glimmer of warmth she could find. As Bellatrix held the kiss long enough for the Dementors to pass. "Yes, you are." As Bellatrix cradled her in her arms. "My good girl."</p><p>As Hermione tried to catch her breath, she noticed for the first time how beautiful Bellatrix's eyes were. Dark, broken, but so beautiful, so deep, and so so easy to get lost in. "I'm going to kill her." Finally, the darkness seemed clear.</p><p>And when her breath fully came back, she couldn't help but giggle. It was going to be so easy. And when she laughed again, Bellatrix laughed with her.</p>
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